Publications by authors named "Alice Chu"

Background: We analyzed trends in age at surgery and surgical approach over time and geography.

Methods: We performed a systematic review according to PRISMA-IPD guidelines to include individual patient data. Collected data included age at surgery, location of surgery, and surgical approach.

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Introduction: Brachial plexus birth injury (BPBI) has an incidence of 0.9 per 1,000 live births in the population. Techniques for repair classically include supraclavicular exploration and nerve grafting (SENG) and more recently nerve transfer, namely of the spinal accessory nerve (SAN) to the suprascapular nerve (SSN) to improve functional outcomes such as glenohumeral abduction and external rotation.

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Purpose: The aim of this project was to survey members of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (POSNA) regarding the use of tibialis anterior tendon transfer (TATT) in the management of recurrent clubfoot with dynamic supination and no deformity. We aimed to assess which techniques for TATT are most utilized by pediatric orthopedists. As there has been no general consensus in the literature regarding best methods, we hypothesized that treatment methods would vary widely among POSNA members.

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Background: Efficient doctor-patient communication is essential for improving patient care. The impact of educational interventions on the communication skills of male and female students has not been systematically reviewed. The aim of this review is to identify interventions used to improve communication skills in medical curricula and investigate their effectiveness in improving the communication skills of male and female medical students.

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Background: The Internet is an important source of information for patients, but its effectiveness relies on the readability of its content. Patient education materials (PEMs) should be written at or below a sixth-grade reading level as outlined by agencies such as the American Medical Association. This study assessed PEMs' readability for the novel anterior vertebral body tethering (AVBT), distraction-based methods, and posterior spinal fusion (PSF) in treating pediatric spinal deformity.

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Background: Academic medical centers greatly benefit from retaining their physicians; that ensures continuity in patient care, enhances resident education, and maintains a pool of experienced clinicians and researchers. Despite its importance, little research has been published on the retainment of academic faculty in orthopaedics. To address this gap, this study investigates the demographic trends of academic orthopaedic surgeons from 2016 to 2022.

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Purpose: Surgical treatments such as tendon transfers and muscle lengthening play a significant role in cerebral palsy management,but timing of upper extremity cerebral palsy surgery remains controversial. This study systematically reviews the current literature and investigates the correlation between age at surgery and follow-up time with surgical outcomes in pediatric upper extremity cerebral palsy patients.

Methods: A comprehensive search of PubMed, Cochrane, Web of Science, and CINAHL databases was performed from inception to July 2020 and articles were screened using PRISMA guidelines to include full-text, English papers.

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"Top 20" status on Doximity, an online networking service for medical professionals, is an indicator of the reputation of a residency program. The study assesses how training at a Top 20 (T20) orthopaedic residency program impacts career productivity and funding. Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database was used in 2022 to identify active orthopaedic residency programs.

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Article Synopsis
  • Surgical management for severe neonatal brachial plexus palsy (NBPP) is advised within the first 6 months to enhance arm function, but post-surgery rehabilitation is not well studied.
  • This scoping review identifies various rehabilitation techniques linked to different microsurgical approaches, categorizing them as "passive," "active," or focused on initial motor recovery.
  • Results showed that rehab often started about 22 days after surgery, with notable differences in therapy emphasis between methods; 75% of nerve transfer studies included active treatments, while only 27.7% of exploration studies did.
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Introduction: The objective of this study was to search existing literature on nerve reconstruction surgery in patients with obstetric brachial plexus palsy to determine whether treatment with supraclavicular exploration and nerve grafting produced better elbow flexion outcomes compared to intercostal nerve transfer.

Methods: This study was a systematic review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis for Individual Patient Data guidelines. A systematic search was conducted using multiple databases.

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Article Synopsis
  • * The review examined 865 studies, narrowing it down to 18 articles that met specific criteria, finding that various procedures focus primarily on restoring elbow flexion and fixing supination contractures.
  • * Results showed that both soft tissue and bony surgical procedures generally improved function, with soft tissue methods being more consistent in outcomes, while bony procedures, including osteotomies, displayed a wider range of results.
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Carcinoid syndrome arises from neuroendocrine tumors, characterized by the presence of neurosecretory granules. The diagnosis of carcinoid syndrome involves biochemical testing and various imaging techniques. We report the case of a 62-year-old man with Parkinson's Disease who was found to have new-onset cirrhosis and multiple hepatic lesions with necrosis on CT imaging.

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Article Synopsis
  • Secondary surgical procedures can help fix shoulder movement issues in children with brachial plexus birth injury, focusing on two types: humeral osteotomies and soft tissue procedures.
  • The study analyzed 19 articles, measuring various shoulder movement outcomes before and after surgery.
  • While both procedures improved shoulder function, humeral osteotomies showed a decrease in internal rotation post-surgery, whereas soft tissue methods offered more consistent results.
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Neurogenic Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (nTOS) is a rare pathology caused by dynamic conditions or compression of neurovascular structures in the thoracic outlet region. nTOS can be difficult to diagnose due to nonspecific symptoms and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques are increasingly used to aid the diagnosis and surgical planning. This scoping systematic review explores how MRI is used for diagnosing nTOS and summarizes details of published MRI protocols.

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Importance: Children with cerebral palsy (CP) and severe hand impairment have limited options for upper extremity (UE) orthoses.

Objective: To (1) design and fabricate a customized low-cost, functional, three-dimensional (3D) printed dynamic upper extremity orthosis (DUEO) and (2) examine, using a comprehensive evaluation, the effect of the orthosis on the UE function of children with unilateral UE CP, Manual Ability Classification System (MACS) Levels III to V.

Design: Pilot study.

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Introduction: While surgical literature exists on birth-related brachial plexus injury (BPI), there are not validated sources of information on BPI for patients, which can impact patient autonomy and decision-making. With YouTube as a popular source for patients to research diagnoses, this study aims to evaluate the quality of information regarding BPI and its treatment available on the platform.

Materials And Methods: BPI YouTube videos were screened independently by two reviewers.

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Background: Atherosclerosis and consequent risk of cardiovascular events or mortality can be accurately assessed by quantifying coronary artery calcium score (CACS) derived from computed tomography. HMG-CoA-reductase inhibitors (statins) are the primary pharmacotherapy used to reduce cardiovascular events, yet there is growing data that support statin use may increase coronary calcification. We set out to determine the likelihood of severe CACS in the context of chronic statin therapy.

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Objective: To identify factors influencing residency training program selection by women residents in urology and to evaluate the residents' gender-based experiences during training. Urology remains a disproportionately male-physician-dominated field. Understanding the needs and experiences of women residents is essential for developing strategies to recruit and retain more women urologists in independent practice.

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Introduction: Quantification of a researcher's productivity relies on objective bibliometric measurements, such as the Hirsch index (h-index). However, h-index is not field and time-normalized and possesses bias against newer researchers. Our study is the first to compare the relative citation ratio (RCR), a new article-level metric developed by the National Institutes of Health, with h-index in academic orthopaedics.

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Aim: To evaluate the cost-utility of iStent with cataract surgery cataract surgery alone in patients with mild-to-moderate primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) in the Japanese setting from a public payer's perspective.

Methods: A Markov model was adapted to estimate the cost-utility of iStent plus cataract surgery cataract surgery alone in one eye in patients with mild-to-moderate POAG over lifetime horizon from the perspective of Japanese public payer. Japanese sources were used for patients' characteristics, clinical data, utility, and costs whenever available.

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Introduction: We report 2-year outcomes after implantation of iStent trabecular micro-bypass stent with phacoemulsification, in Japanese patients with mild-moderate open-angle glaucoma (OAG).

Methods: This was a 24-month, prospective, longitudinal, observational, post-marketing study conducted between July 2017 and September 2020. Patients consisted of adults with OAG on antiglaucoma medications who had cataract surgery combined with one iStent implantation.

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Background: Debate over the optimal age at time of surgery for treatment of brachial plexus birth injury (BPBI) remains controversial, and there exists geographical varia- tion in surgical preference for age at time of surgery. The objective of this review was to analyze trends in age and geography in brachial plexus microsurgery for treatment of brachial plexus birth injury (BPBI) over time.

Methods: Review of the literature in this study was con- ducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Sys- tematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines.

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Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning (LGBTQ+) individuals may encounter added challenges in the healthcare setting. Both providers and patients may face discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity, which may lead to avoidance or delay in seeking care. LGBTQ+ physicians often choose not to disclose their sexual orientation because of concerns about harassment, isolation, and depression.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigates how the age of pediatric patients at the time of upper trunk brachial plexus microsurgery affects surgical outcomes, specifically focusing on neonatal brachial plexus palsy (NBPP).
  • - A systematic review of literature identified 25 relevant papers, revealing a significant negative correlation between older age at surgery and poorer hand-to-mouth function based on the Mallet subscore.
  • - Results indicate that delaying surgery past 6-9 months significantly impacts recovery, suggesting earlier intervention may improve outcomes for hand-to-mouth capability in affected infants.
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